Business growth Business success

NZ tech company celebrates 20 Years of Kiwi Innovation

17 Nov 2025

TimeFiler Celebrates 20 Years
From Christchurch startup to Asia-Pacific timesheet leader

In an industry where 90% of startups fail and few tech companies survive past seven years, Christchurch-based TimeFiler is celebrating 20 years of continuous operation, a milestone that places it among an elite group of New Zealand technology success stories.

Founded in late 2005 by Toni Brown, Jo Smith, and Morris Johns, with Ian Johnson joining shortly after, TimeFiler has grown from a local startup to a trusted partner for organisations across New Zealand and the Pacific. Today, the company serves hundreds of businesses across New Zealand and Australia, spanning healthcare, manufacturing, aviation, security, construction, and professional services, with many of their earliest enterprise clients, including Hato Hone St John, Aviation Security New Zealand, and Tait Electronics, still using the platform two decades later.

The Strategy Behind Two Decades of Growth

TimeFiler's longevity stems from a fundamental business principle: generating more than 80% of revenue from recurring monthly customer fees. This stable revenue model enables long-term decision-making that prioritises customer success over short-term gains, a stark contrast to technology companies driven by private equity timelines or acquisition targets.

"Implementing a timesheet system impacts every employee in an organisation," the founders explain. "Companies don't want to change systems frequently. Our job is ensuring TimeFiler remains the right fit for a decade or more, and our stable revenue platform gives us the freedom to make changes carefully and thoughtfully."

This customer-first approach has proven resilient through multiple existential challenges. During the 2010-2011 Christchurch earthquakes, the company relocated offices three times in months while maintaining 100% service continuity, a feat that caught the attention of EQC, who engaged TimeFiler to rapidly scale their workforce management during the recovery effort. When COVID-19 hit, they reduced license fees for worst-hit clients while adapting operations to remote work. Their first major client, an APAC market research firm, initially turned down their business proposition before eventually rolling out TimeFiler across 15 countries, a testament to the founders' persistence.

The company's customer retention speaks volumes, with multi-decade client relationships now commonplace and annual revenue growth accelerating as New Zealand businesses increasingly demand sophisticated, locally supported timesheet solutions that integrate seamlessly with modern payroll systems. "Not bad for a company that started with a basic web form and refused to take no for an answer."

A net benefit to New Zealand

What began as a Christchurch venture now delivers tangible benefits to the New Zealand economy. TimeFiler customers achieve measurable productivity gains through automated timesheet processing and real-time award calculations, while the company generates export revenue, with more than 25% of income now sourced from Australia and growing.

"We're not just serving the New Zealand market," the founders note. "We're bringing export dollars back to New Zealand while making our local businesses more productive."

TimeFiler's competitive advantage lies in their pioneering real-time award calculations and intuitive business rules engine, technology that remains their "secret sauce" nearly 20 years later. The company recently overhauled its entire user interface without requiring customers to reconfigure systems or undergo retraining, a rare achievement in enterprise software that reinforces their reputation for customer-centric innovation.

Strategic partnerships with IMS Payroll (acquired by MYOB) and Fusion5 have strengthened TimeFiler's position as New Zealand's leading independent timesheet solution, with integration capabilities that eliminate double-handling and reduce payroll processing time for clients.

Looking ahead

After years of profitable, sustainable operation with low overheads, TimeFiler is now entering an aggressive expansion phase. The company is scaling its team, forging new strategic partnerships, and investing heavily in product development for 2026 and beyond, all while maintaining the responsive, personal service that has kept clients loyal for decades.

To mark this 20-year milestone, TimeFiler is donating $20,000 to long-time customer Hato Hone St John, who use TimeFiler on the frontline to support the vital work they do in communities across New Zealand.

"We want to thank all of our customers who have trusted us with your time and attendance management over the past 20 years," the founders said. "We're excited to announce the next step in our growth in 2026."

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